Databases Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 30
Ensuring the Integrity
of the Database
William E. Perry
A
,
DATABASE
IS
A
REPOSITORY
FOR
DATA
BOTH
BETWEEN
AND
DURING
.
PROCESSING
In traditional business systems, transactions constitute an
organization's data. Data can include such items as product prices, mes-
sages, status of processing, and error or diagnostic data. Data can also be
processing modules, or objects. When stored in a CASE technology envi-
ronment, databases are often referred to as repositories. This chapter con-
siders all of these database environments.
In a database environment, data management is separate from data pro-
cessing. Data management functions that were performed by application
programmers in non-database systems may now be performed by people
independently of the application project team. Therefore, the application
project team, and thus the user, must rely on the integrity of data managed
by others.
A database environment in its simplest from (i.e., in which a single appli-
cation or a series of closely related applications is the only user of the data-
base) is not much more complex than an environment in which some other
indexed access method is used. This type of environment may not pose
any more integrity problems than a non-database environment.
A more sophisticated database, however, can involve multiple users. A
loss of integrity in this type of database environment can be catastrophic
to the organization as a whole.
The increased use of microcomputers has created a need for vast
amounts of data. Much of that need is satisfied by downloading segments
of data from corporate databases. This poses a new audit risk because
many microcomputer users are unskilled in data integrity and methods of
ensuring integrity.
The way that computer systems are constructed is changing radically.
Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE) technology has introduced an
engineering discipline into system development. One of the key concepts in
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